The Friends of St. Edward Park may or may not be making an attempt at raising the dollars needed to reopen the closed Carole Ann Wald Memorial Pool in the state-owned park in Kenmore.
“The (Friends) board is considering the issue and may make some decisions soon, but we have not received all the information we need nor have we agreed on any alternative course of action,” said Friends President Tom Fitzpatrick.
“I’m not exactly skeptical, but I’m not real optimistic,” added Bruce McAlister, a member of the grassroots group perhaps best known for putting together the park’s annual Earth Day celebration.
According to McAlister and other group members, the Friends met Nov. 10 with representatives of a professional fund-raising organization. McAlister added the company has agreed to investigate, free of charge, the feasibility of the Friends raising the money needed to reopen the pool. According to McAlister, a full response is not expected until January.
The Wald pool has been closed since last year when the previous operator walked away claiming excessive financial losses. Following the closure, which was the second in less than a year, Kenmore City Council agreed to pay for a roughly $35,000 engineering study determining the condition of the state-owned pool. According to the report, completed by ORB Architects, some $416,000 in repairs was needed for immediate repairs on the pool and the pool building. Longer-term improvements to the pool might cost as much as $1.7 million. According to McAlister, about a $1 million subsidy would be needed to keep the pool open for 10 years. ORB officials have repeatedly maintained no “box” pool such as the Wald pool can be self-sustaining.
ORB also recommended $68,000 in immediate repairs to the gym contained in the former St. Edward seminary building adjacent to the pool. In the case of the gym, ORB estimated an additional $239,000 investment would be required to keep that facility open in the long term, with, according to McAlister, an annual subsidy of about $15,000 needed to cover the cost of operating the gym.
In the case of pool, Friends member Ann Hurst said ORB’s financial numbers took for granted that the pool would be properly mothballed. Hurst argues that hasn’t proven to be the case.
According to Hurst, the pool now retains only a small amount of water. ORB engineers recommended the pool be filled with some heavy material, such as a certain type of gravel, in order to keep the pool liner from buckling if the pool was allowed to drain. ORB’s advice never was followed.
State officials did not respond to a phone call, but in the past have argued upkeep of the pool is outside their primary mission. On several occasions, state Parks and Recreation Director Rex Derr has said his department will spend no further money on the pool. While they agreed to finance the engineering study, Kenmore officials argue they can spend no additional dollars on a facility that does not even belong to the city.
ORB put the cost of mothballing the pool at about $36,000. Hurst feels the city essentially “blew” the money spent on the engineering study since the Wald facility was, in her opinion, never properly closed.
Hurst also was critical of other state actions. Once the engineering study was completed, Derr agreed to send out a request for proposals to potential pool operators. According to Hurst, two potential operators at least have expressed some interest.
But at the same time, Hurst said the state e-mailed 610 requests. A list of those who received the e-mails include private businesses such as pressure-washing and pest-control companies. According to Hurst, while the pool may be in need of the services offered by such companies, those companies are unlikely to take on the operation of the pool.
“Parks in Olympia looks to be insincere about saving the pool,” Hurst said.
Kenmore Mayor David Baker said he was unaware of any fund-raising efforts by the Friends of St. Edward, but said such an effort, if it happens, will be welcome. He added he was unaware of the status of any potential new pool operators.
